


Coffee Shop Nights

by spicychickenminiquesadilla



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Sokka and Azula are coworkers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24636958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicychickenminiquesadilla/pseuds/spicychickenminiquesadilla
Summary: “Thanks a latte!” Sokka threw in a wink.Zuko laughed before looking up as if startled by his own reaction. “That was terrible.”Sokka laughed as well. “Oh, I have plenty more puns where that came from.”Sokka works a thankless job, with possibly the rudest coworker on the planet, but it's not without its perks.
Relationships: Azula & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 53
Kudos: 402





	1. Chapter 1

Sokka hated being on register. The monotony of ringing up orders, counting out change, and exchanging pleasantries with the student body of his university got old very fast. It was his own fault; he was too charming. He made people at ease, often disarming them with his puns. Whenever he worked the night shift, Sokka was stuck on register the whole night making ‘meaningful connections’ with the customers that needed an extra large iced coffee at 8 pm as a last ditch effort to pass some exam or finish a paper. At least some of them tipped.

It wasn’t like his coworker was really an option. Azula was interesting. Sokka wasn’t sure why she needed the job. It was clear she came from money, and she’d never had a job before starting at the university coffee shop. Sokka was sure she wouldn’t last the week of the training he put all newbies through, but she was smart. After her first day she came back with the corporate manual memorized, familiar with every drink their shop had ever served(even the ones discontinued). Sokka was impressed, so he let her on register two days early. Her first interaction was technically fine, though she would have to work on friendliness. The second customer was where it went wrong.

_A tall blonde dude in a beanie walked up to the register. “Hey can I get an americano, but with no water.” The guy looked at Azula expectantly as she frowned back at him. “_

_So you want an espresso?” Azula asked him bluntly. Sokka was taken aback by her tone, but he would talk to her after she finished the order._

_The guy started shaking his head. “No I want an americano without water, I don’t want espresso.” The guy looked at Azula like she was crazy._

_Azula paused for a moment to collect herself. Sokka started to relax, it looked like she was thinking before she spoke. Sokka had to do that many times dealing with customers who don’t know anything about coffee. “Are you some kind of idiot, what do you think is in an Americano.” Azula said it so calmly, Sokka almost didn’t register the words._

_The guy opened his mouth to object when Sokka jumped in. “I’m so sorry about her, she’s new. I’ve got the Americano coming right up, on the house.” Azula scowled at him but the man seemed placated._

_As soon as they were done with his order he pulled Azula to the side. “You can’t talk to the customers that way.”_

_“That fool was going to pay a dollar more just because he was too stupid to know what’s in an americano.” Azula snapped back._

_“_ _Look,” Sokka slapped a hand to his face, "we are going to deal with so many idiots, but we just have to just grin and bear it because thats our job.”_

Azula made an effort from that point on to not call the customers idiots to their faces, but it was evident what she thought of them. That first week multiple people complained to Sokka about the rude girl on the register. From that point it was an unspoken rule that when the two of them worked together Sokka would be on the register and Azula would make the drinks. Despite her rude demeanor Sokka actually liked working with Azula. She was actually competent, which was more than he could say about the openers on the rare opportunity that he worked with them. The two of them love to complain about the customers together. Nothing brought Sokka more joy watching the look on her face whenever he handed off a particularly ridiculous drink order. That didn’t make them friends though. Sokka’s pretty sure if he met her anywhere else, he wouldn’t be able to stand her. As it was, he couldn’t help but resent that if she was just a little more personable they could split the time on register.

Sokka was in the middle of pouting when he heard the door to the shop open. He adjusted his posture and adopted his most fake smile, when he realized he recognized the guy walking in. It was the hot guy from open mic night at poetry club. At first glance the guy looked tough, though it was mostly the scar that covered his eye. But when Sokka heard him quietly recite his poem, he knew that the guy was a sensitive soul. He had such a way with words and Sokka had been dying to talk to him, but he left right after his turn was up.

Now hot poetry guy was walking up to Sokka’s register to order and Sokka realized he hadn’t even greeted the guy. Shit. “Hi I’m Sokka, what can I get started for you today?”

“Um, what kind of tea do you have?” Sokka handed him the list and the guy selected one of the herbal teas after much consideration.

“Can I get a name for your order.” Okay it wasn’t really necessary, the shop was practically empty and its not like Sokka was going to forget who the tea was for in the two seconds it took to grab the teabag and the hot water, but he was going to make some progress with this boy if he could help it.

“Zuko.” The boy replied shyly ducking his head down. Which was damn adorable. Sokka realized he hadn’t seen Azula for a while, which was for the best. She would probably scare this guy out of the coffee shop before Sokka could get any more info out of him.

Zuko took a small sip of his tea, which definitely was not done steeping, but Sokka was not about to tell the guy what to do. He remembered the first time Azula chastised a customer for not waiting the appropriate amount of time for their Earl Grey to steep. She spoke with such authority the girl actually apologized to Azula. Sokka had to admit it made him laugh.

Zuko looked up at Sokka and smiled. “This is really good.” Now Sokka knows the guy is exaggerating, their tea honestly sucks. Still, he’ll take the compliment.

“Thanks a latte!” Sokka threw in a wink.

Zuko laughed before looking up as if startled by his own reaction. “That was terrible.”

Sokka laughed as well. “Oh, I have plenty more puns where that came from.”

“I guess I’ll have to come back to hear them.” Zuko smiled and just like that he was leaving. 

Sokka couldn’t believe his luck. That was definitely flirting right? Zuko AKA hot poetry guy was coming back, because he wanted to hear more of Sokka’s stupid puns. Before he could replay the conversation in his head and start analyzing every little thing he did right or wrong Azula was in his face snapping her fingers.

“Why do you have that dreamy look on your face, please tell me you haven’t fallen in love with our idiot clientele again.”

“Ha ha, Azula. No I was just talking with a customer. Being nice to people doesn’t mean I’m in love with them. Not that you would understand, you’ve never been nice.” Sokka replied.

“I am perfectly nice!” Azula had the audacity to look shocked at Sokka’s statement.

“Azula. . . are you joking? You know there’s a reason you don’t go on the register. Everyone is afraid of you, you scare off customers.”

“What!" Azula seemed genuinely taken aback. "I thought I was just better at making drinks. Besides, you love being on register and talking with the peasants that come here.” Azula gestured to the couple of people still in the coffee shop who were pointedly eavesdropping on their argument now.

“You are definitely not better than me at making drinks. And I don’t love taking customers. I hate them just as much as you do, I’m just better at hiding it.” Sokka yelled.

“Um . . . excuse me, can I make my order?” A petite girl had made her way to the register. She was regarding both Sokka and Azula with apprehension. Sokka turned and realized that everyone could hear what he just shouted. Fuck.

Azula smiled and damn if that wasn’t a scary sight. “What can I get you?” she asked sweetly. Sokka had to walk away. He went to the back and sat on a milk crate. How could he be so stupid? Hopefully no one here cared enough to report them. Sokka really needed this job. After a few minutes Azula joined him in the back. She approached him slowly like he was a stray animal, liable to lash out.

“Look Sokka, I thought our arrangement was for your sake. I am not some child. I can handle being on register and being polite with the idiots that come here.”

Sokka rolled his eyes, “I’d start by not calling them idiots.”

“Should I just shout that I hate them instead?” Azula smirked. Sokka didn’t know how to reply to that.

Azula took a deep breathe, “Starting tomorrow I will be on register just as much as you are. It is only fair.”

Sokka looked up in surprise. He couldn’t tell if she was genuinely looking out for him or if there was some other motivator. What a roller coaster of a day. “Yeah well, we’ll see how it goes. I’m not losing out on tips if you scare off the customers.”

“That wont be a problem.” Azula had a look of scary determination. Sokka hoped this wouldn’t end badly.

He was halfway home when he remembered his encounter with Zuko. Today hadn’t been all bad! Now he just had to make sure Azula didn’t scare the guy off when he came back. If he came back. God, Sokka really hoped he would come back.


	2. Chapter 2

Today was a garbage fire kind of day. Why on earth was there a line out the door an hour before close? Okay, Sokka knew why, everyone was in cram mode for midterms. Couldn’t they have gotten their caffeine fix some other way. Curse their affordable and delicious beverage offerings. 

Azula was on her third cold brew of the night, which did not bode well. Sokka was probably going to make himself a quad espresso if he could just find a moment of peace to sit down. He still hadn’t taken his break today which was not helping his stress levels.

All while he was balancing the never-ending influx of drink orders Sokka was thinking about Zuko. It had been two weeks since he first came in and he had yet to come back. Sokka really hoped he just didn't like their tea. God what if it was his pun. Or maybe he smelled bad. Sokka was so busy thinking of how he was driving Zuko away he almost didn't catch that the milk for his latte was overflowing. Ugh, he really needed to get it together. 

Not to mention, a certain rowdy group had posted up at the corner table making it very hard to concentrate. His friends and his sister had followed every other student and decided the coffee shop was the only place to study. Whatever happened to the library? Right now they were laughing at some joke Toph made and if Sokka just got a little closer he could hear it too. The thought of moving too far from Azula on register gave him too much anxiety. He needed to be able to jump in when she inevitably insulted someone. Sokka often fantasized about being able to clone himself so he could do everything at once, and know it was being done right. How fucked up was that? He fantasized about doing more work. 

Azula pulled him over to help her with a bunch of teas for some hippie types. She studied Sokka’s expression as he struggled to open the package of english breakfast. “Sokka take your break, this is ridiculous.” She frowned as he dropped the bag on the floor. 

“Are you kidding, it's way too busy right now.” He managed to open the new package with less difficulty. 

“Its affecting your work to the point of incompetence. Just sit with you friends, clearly that’s all you can think about.” Azula pointed to the corner where Aang was now demonstrating some kind of dance. As if to prove her point, his traitor of a stomach chose that moment to growl. 

Sokka sighed. “Fine, but I’ll be right there so if you get overwhelmed just let me know.” He went to the back to grab his ‘lunch’ after queuing some shot of espresso to chug while he ate. 

Katara eyed his lunch as he sat down. “Are you just taking your break now Sokka? You’ve been working for over five hours!” Concern and outrage were warring on her face. 

Sokka sighed. “Its just me and Azula. We decide when to take our breaks, and I just haven’t had a moment of down time.” 

Katara frowned at that. “I’m sure Azula got to take her break. Sokka, you need to take better care of yourself.” 

“Well of course she took her break, I made sure of it. We just got really busy before I could take mine,” Sokka replied. He took a big bite of his sandwich and ignored the pointed look Katara was giving him. 

“This Azula must be pretty good, she cleared out the line.” Aang chimed in, looking up from the essay he was working on. 

Sokka turned around. Aang was right. The line was completely gone now, though the place was still packed with people waiting on their orders. 

“Why are you guys even here? I’ve told you many times that you are much more productive when you study in the library.” Sokka couldn’t help but lecture them a little. Just a glance at Aang’s essay told him he was still on the first page. 

‘The library doesn’t have free refills.” Toph piped in. 

“Neither do we.” Sokka groaned. 

“Besides, we're all going to Jose’s after you get out of work, remember?” Top punched him lightly on the shoulder. 

Well, shit. Sokka forgot all about that. He hadn’t told them that he started staying later to lock up the coffee shop and finish some stuff in the office. He still had to make the schedule tonight. Sokka didn’t mind the extra responsibility his boss had thrown on him. Sure it would be nice if it came with a promotion and pay raise, but things went much smoother once Sokka started doing more managerial duties that their boss tended to neglect. Rob, the owner, usually fucked up the schedule spectacularly, forgetting who had class when and who shouldn’t be working together. He never stayed past three pm, leaving Azula and Sokka to their own devices. This suited Sokka just fine, he could run the place better anyway. 

Except he had midterms to study for and friends to hang out with; it was all competing for his attention. 

“Yeah, how could I forget.” Sokka tried to smile. “Its going to take me awhile to close up here, but then we can head over to Jose’s.” He scrambled to finish off the food he packed and jumped up to rejoin Azula. If he started cleaning stuff now before they were closed he could finish faster to join his friends. He would probably have to do the schedule on his own time later tonight, but that was fine. Sokka had it handed. 

* * *

Katara watched as her brother went back to work and couldn’t help but worry. “Does Sokka seem extra stressed out right now?” she asked the group. 

Toph laughed, “He’s always stressed out.” 

Katara frowned at that, “He seems upset . . . more than usual.” 

Toph just shrugged and hit play on her lecture recording. Aang seemed to actually contemplate what Katara was saying. 

“I guess he didn’t even make any jokes.” Aang said finally. 

Katara slammed her hand on the table, “Exactly!” 

Toph rolled her eyes and took her headphones out. “What are we supposed to do, Sokka loves being miserable.” 

“Yeah, but he usually pretends to be happy,” Aang replied. 

Both Aang and Katara turned to watch Sokka who was making some kind of complicated drink with foam. Azula said something to him that they couldn’t hear and suddenly Sokka was laughing. 

Katara’s jaw dropped. “How could I be so stupid! Sokka is in love with this Azula girl. He’s probably so mopey because he’s pining after her.” 

“No offense Katara, but I doubt that. All he does is complain about her.” Toph responded, shaking her head. 

“Yeah, but he talks about her all the time, we never heard about his other coworkers before she started. Besides, if you could see the expression on his face now. . .” Katara studied the two of them working together, looking for more proof of what she was sure was Sokka’s embarrassing crush. 

Aang was watching them too. “He does seem happy right now. Do you think she likes him too?” He turned to Katara with a hopeful look on his face. 

“There’s only one way to find out.” Katara smiled as a plan formed.

She waited until Sokka headed to the back and Azula started cleaning the espresso machine to make her move. 

“Hi, I’m Katara, Sokka’s sister!” She held her hand out but realized a fraction too late that Azula’s hands were preoccupied with the machine in front of her. 

Azula turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “I know who you are.” 

Katara lowered her hand. “Right. . . well . . . Sokka talks about you all the time.” 

“We do work together.” Azula frowned as if she couldn’t quite figure out what Katara was getting at. 

“Exactly! I was thinking since you guys work together, maybe you would want to come with us to Jose’s tonight. It’s this Mexican restaurant that doesn’t card, so we all get drunk on their watered down sangria.” Katara smiled at Azula, sure that the promise of alcohol and time with her brother would convince her to join them. 

Azula seemed taken aback by the invitation, but she didn’t outright reject it. Katara saw her moment to strike. 

“This is going to be so fun!” She skipped back to Toph and Aang before Azula could turn her down. This ploy always worked. Just act like someone said yes, when really they just didn’t say no. It was how she got Sokka to do most of the things she wanted. She looked back at a confused Azula who was back to cleaning the espresso machine.

After an eternity Azula and Sokka were finally done doing whatever it is that kept them at the shop so late. Katara was bored out of her mind, but at least the wait had allowed Aang to make some progress on his essay. Toph had given up on studying entirely and was listening to music loud enough that Katara could probably sing along if she wanted. 

Azula was the first to leave, but before she headed out she turned and said with an air of uncertainty, “I’ll see you soon.” She paused for a moment and then was out the door. 

Sokka turned to look at everyone. “That was weird.” 

“Oh, I invited her to Jose’s tonight,” Katara replied. 

“What!” Sokka’s jaw dropped. “Why would you do that?” 

Toph laughed and elbowed Katara, “Yeah, why did you do that.” 

Katara smacked away Toph’s elbow. “I figured you guys might like to hang out outside of work.” She smiled suggestively. 

“What gave you that idea? We aren’t even friends.” Sokka looked outraged. 

Okay so that was not the reaction Katara was expecting, Sokka must be in deep denial about his crush. He just needed a helpful push from his loving sister. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Katara but she is also a well meaning, but meddling little sister. 
> 
> Sorry for the lack of Zuko in this chapter, he should definitely be in the next one. I've decided to keep these short and just post more frequently. I'm already almost done with the next chapter so I hope to have it up soon. 
> 
> I really want to say thank you so much for the comments. I am not a frequent fanfic writer so it means so much to me. Sometimes your brain says what if Azula and Sokka worked together at a coffee shop and you have to write it or else.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes dinner is sangria at 10 pm and breakfast is omelets at 6 am. College is fun.

Katara had made a huge mistake. Azula might actually be the meanest person she’d ever met. So far all she’s done is tell stories from work and the vile things she wished she could say to their customers. Toph seems to find her funny, but that doesn’t come as a surprise. What does shock her, is Sokka’s response. Sure, he can complain about work sometimes, but he never talked about the people like that. Now, here he was, agreeing with Azula. 

Katara sucked up the last of her sangria, while Azula talked about another customer who made the mistake of not knowing how much foam came in a cappuccino. Katara didn’t know the difference between a cappuccino and a latte, did that make her an idiot? How dare Azula basically call her an idiot. 

“You know what’s really embarrassing? When a man comes in and orders one of our non-coffee frappes. What kind of man orders a glorified milkshake?” Azula laughed cruelly. 

Aang looked up guiltily.“Oh I actually really like those. The ones you guys make are really good!” He smiled wide at Azula. 

“I suppose that’s true. At least about the corporate approved frappes. The abominations that Sokka creates to flirt with the instagram influencers are truly awful.” She smirked at Sokka who just rolled his eyes. 

Katara had enough. “Are you really going to insult my brother?” 

Everyone turned to look at her. 

“You say the same thing about Sokka’s drinks all the time,” Toph responded. 

“What! No I don’t.” Katara sputtered. 

“I distinctly remember you telling me my first creation looked like a unicorn threw up in a cup and that under no circumstance would you try it.” Sokka replied. “Its how I came up with the name, the Unicorn frappe.” He looked proud at that. 

“Ugh, I’m getting another pitcher of sangria from the bar. Come with me Aang?” Katara stormed off without waiting to see if Aang would follow. Aang smiled at everyone before running to catch up with Katara. 

Katara grabbed Aang’s arm and pulled him to the side. “Aang, I know you’ll understand. Azula is awful, we can’t let her get to Sokka.” 

Aang paused. Katara could tell he was really thinking through what to say next. “She has said some pretty mean stuff, but she’s also only talked about work. Maybe if we get her to talk about her hobbies we can find a nicer side to her. We are all capable of saying truly mean things, we just need to see Azula’s potential to be kind.” 

Sometimes Katara forgot how emotionally mature Aang could be. This was definitely not what she was hoping for. Still, for Aang she would give it a try. And when Azula inevitably failed Katara would be proven right and Aang would have no choice but to help her. They ordered another pitcher and headed back to the table. 

“So Azula, what do you like to do for fun?” Aang asked, interrupting whatever the group had been previously discussing. 

“Well, I work with Sokka at the coffee shop and I am doing the pre law track for my undergrad degree.” Azula listed methodically. 

“We know that already, what about your hobbies?” Aang smiled encouragingly. 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t call school and work fun.” Toph added. 

“That’s it.” Azula paused uncertainly. “I certainly don’t have time to waste on silly hobbies. I don’t know about you guys, but my course load is very rigorous and I need to maintain a perfect GPA if I’m going to get into a prestigious law program after graduation.” 

The vibe at the table became awkward fast. Even Aang seemed at a loss on how to respond to Azula’s intensity. Katara thought it was kind of sad, but she resented Azula’s implication that the rest of them must be slacking if they like to take it easy every now and then. 

Then Sokka ended the silence. “I can relate, I have to keep my grades up for my scholarship.” He paused a moment. “Have you tried playing board games Azula? There are some great strategy ones that allow you to have fun while keeping your mind sharp.” He gave her a soft smile. 

“Of course I’ve played board games before!” Azula snapped. Then her expression softened and she hesitated. “I . . . I used to play with my friends, well one friend in particular. We don’t talk much anymore.” She stared at her empty glass as if the sangria was responsible for her admission.

“You should come to our game night! We could always use more serious players.” Sokka added, giving a pointed look at Aang who shrugged.

“I don’t know about that.” Azula looked away but Katara caught her lips twitching in what had to be a suppressed smile. 

Katara should have never interfered in Sokka’s love life. Now Katara was going to be stuck with snide remarks at every game night until inevitably she’ll have to give some speech at Sokka and Azula’s wedding about how she was the one who brought the two of them together. She tried not to be too bitter as everyone else enjoyed the evening.

* * *

Sokka was exhausted. He made sure everyone got home safely, even Azula who rolled her eyes when he asked but sent him a text that she’d made it to her dorm. The text was a picture of her door with the caption ‘Are you satisfied, asshole?’ She even had proper punctuation like a real psychopath, but it put Sokka at ease. 

It was just past midnight and Sokka was now headed to the library. He got a little drunker and stayed a little later than he had planned but hopefully the walk in the chilly night air would sober him up a bit. He wanted nothing more than to study in the comfort of his own dorm room, but that would only end with him fast asleep. Just a couple hours at the library and then he could head home for an hour or two of sleep before his test tomorrow. 

Not that he was too worried about the test, but it couldn’t hurt to do some last minute studying to be extra prepared. He had to stay up anyway to finish the schedule for the week after next. 

Sokka posted up at his favorite table in the library. It was in the lower level, with no windows around. The chairs were uncomfortable. It was perfect. Sokka might be smart, but he also knows he could be prone to distraction. This section of the library allowed him to completely focus on his work. 

Sokka pulled out his physics textbook and tried to concentrate on the words in front of him. After rereading the same paragraph three times he figured it was probably better to switch to the schedule for the coffee shop. 

Twenty minutes later he was interrupted by the text tone on his phone. 

**Katara (12:42 am):** you never texted me that you got home safe 

Sokka sighed and wondered if he should be honest. 

**Sokka (12:45 am):** not home yet, just getting in some last minute studying

**Katara (12:45):** Sokka :(

He put his phone away without responding. He didn’t need his baby sister worrying about him. Looking back at the schedule he realized he'd put Lee down for three different shifts on the same day. He needed to completely rework that day. 

Sokka could feel his eyelids get heavy. He was really regretting ordering that third pitcher of sangria for the table. Maybe if he just rested his eyes for a couple of minutes he could wake up refreshed and finish the schedule. He put his head down on his backpack, which did not compare to his pillow at home. A zipper was pressing into his cheek. That was for the best though, he wasn’t sleeping, just closing his eyes for ten minutes at the most. 

A firm hand on his shoulder was shaking Sokka awake. Shit, how long had he been out. He looked up to see who had woken him and was met with amber eyes. 

Zuko was standing before him. He looked good, well rested and dressed in soft purple sweater that Sokka wanted to feel, the material looked nice. He was still kind of sleepy and it was taking all of his control not to do or say something embarrassing. God, he probably looked like shit right now. Zuko had this concerned look on his face and he was watching Sokka carefully. 

Sokka stretched his arms and tried to check his phone, but it died at some point. “What time is it?” He was trying very hard not to panic. The library was pretty empty which meant it was still late, or at the very least early in the morning. 

“Its six am.” 

“Why are you up so early?” Sokka yawned. 

Zuko looked surprised. “I’ve always been an early riser. I like to come here when it’s mostly empty to study. Why are you asleep in the library?” 

“Don’t you know this is the most comfortable place to sleep on campus.” Sokka laughed. “I, uh, fell asleep while studying. I have to say I am relieved that I didn’t sleep through my exam. Thanks for waking me up Zuko.” 

Zuko blushed at the mention of his name. “Um, of course. I actually felt bad disturbing you, but I figured you probably have a midterm today.”

“How about as a thank you I take you out for some breakfast.” Sokka grinned at Zuko. 

The two of them pulled up in front of the premiere dining hall on campus. Sokka started to walk in, but when he turned to check on Zuko he was standing still. 

“I don’t live on campus, so I don’t have a dining plan.” Zuko looked down at his feet, avoiding Sokka’s gaze. 

“Yeah well, I said _I’d_ take you out to breakfast. I got this.” Sokka replied. 

Sokka marched up to the woman manning the entrance and leaned on to the counter. “Lisa, you look beautiful as ever. “ He winked back at Zuko. 

“Sokka.” She deadpanned. “ID please.” 

“Is Sue working?” Sokka asked while handing over his ID. 

“Yes.” She looked back at Zuko and motioned for him to hand over his as well. 

Sokka gestured to Zuko. “This here is my friend, and a student of this fine institution. He also happens to be a commuter. Would you believe that this young man has never tried one of Sue’s famous omelets. How can he say he has truly experienced all this university has to offer when this essential experience has passed him by.” 

Lisa rolled her eyes at Sokka’s grand speech. “Fine, he can go in.” She gestured towards the buffet. “But Sokka, next time just use a meal swipe for him.” 

Sokka laughed. “It’s way more fun this way.” 

Zuko laughed as well, but he seemed wary as he followed Sokka in. 

“I’ve used that speech before, when my friend Suki came to visit. The original plan was to sneak her in, but Lisa has eyes like a hawk. Luckily the moving speech worked.” Sokka grabbed Zuko’s arm and pulled him towards the grill. 

“Aren’t you afraid it going to get you in trouble?” Zuko looked around like some other authority would pop up and kick him out of the dining hall. 

“Eh, not really. Besides, Sue’s omelets are worth it.” 

Sokka had never come to the dining hall so early before. The grill didn’t even have a line, just one person ordering in front of them. Sue grinned wide when she saw Sokka approaching and already started on his usual. 

“Bringing more people to try my omelets.” She asked. 

“Of course, I have to spread the word.” Sokka put his arm around Zuko and started pointing out all the toppings he could add. 

When Zuko requested egg whites for his omelet Sokka dropped his arm and turned to face him. 

“Oh no, are you some kind of health nut?” Sokka shouldn’t be surprised, he could tell Zuko was hiding an incredible body under that unassuming sweater.

Zuko just laughed. 

They grabbed their finished omelets and grabbed a table close to the buffet. Sokka hopped up and grabbed two cups of coffee before returning to the table. 

Zuko looked confused. “I actually don’t drink coffee.” 

Sokka scoffed. “These are both for me. Look how tiny these cups are.” 

Working at a coffee shop was a double edged sword. He was completely addicted to coffee now, but he had also raised his standards considerably. His tastebuds might prefer the the bougie drinks they served at the coffee shop to the shitty drip coffee at the dining hall, but his wallet disagreed. These would have to do. 

“So, can I ask you something?” Sokka spoke between bites of his perfect omelet. He was trying very hard not to talk with his mouth full. 

Zuko nodded. 

“How come you haven’t come back to the coffee shop?” 

Zuko looked down at his food, pushing around the questionable fruit salad he had scooped on to his plate. “I have a confession to make.” He paused and Sokka wondered if he was going to actually make said confession. 

“Have you heard of the Jasmine Dragon?”Which of course Sokka’s heard of the Jasmine Dragon. It’s like an actually nice tea shop in the city, not some shitty university franchise location. They used actual loose leaf tea, and had patio seating with a real garden. 

Zuko continued. “My uncle owns it. I live with him in the apartment above the shop and sometimes I help him out with customers.” 

Sokka groaned. “God, I’m so stupid. Why would you come get our terrible tea, when your uncle makes the best tea in the city.” 

Zuko smiled. “Yeah, the tea was pretty terrible.” 

"Hey, that's not what you said at first," Sokka laughed. “Okay, I can’t blame you for not buying our tea, its overpriced and terrible. But you know what is worth every penny? Our cheese danishes. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried our cheese danishes.” 

“Maybe I could justify coming back for a cheese danish. If they are really as good as you say.” Zuko replied. “Can I ask you a question now?” 

“Shoot!” 

“How come I don’t ever see you at poetry club? I know you come to the open mic nights; your poetry is good.” Zuko looked up and met Sokka’s eyes. He didn’t know what to make of the sincerity. 

Sokka laughed. “That was not what I expected you to ask.” God where to start? “The faculty advisor hates me. She made every attempt to kick me out of the club, would schedule meetings when I had class or work. It used to really piss me off, but now I just find it funny. They can’t keep me from the open mic nights though.” 

“That’s terrible! I only joined this year, I didn’t realize they could be so exclusionary.” Zuko looked outraged on Sokka’s behalf.

It was weird. When Katara acted like this with Sokka, it just made him uncomfortable. Somehow with Zuko it was different. 

“Like I said, it doesn’t bother me much anymore. She felt I didn’t take poetry seriously, and my haikus were all comedic so . . . " He trailed off. "I’m really busy anyway. Though if you had been a member when I joined, I would have fought harder to stay.” 

Zuko blushed and it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Sokka was going to make it his goal to get this guy to blush as much as possible. 

The rest of the breakfast was spent talking about poetry and other books they liked. Sokka was having an incredible time, he was so into their conversation he only went up for seconds, rather than his usual thirds and sometimes fourths(a guy had to get his money’s worth). Sokka felt a zen fall over him, something that was entirely unfamiliar. 

As they parted ways Sokka realized he hadn’t thought about his physics exam once during breakfast. He headed off to the science building, but rather than his typical hyperactive dread, he just felt calm and confident. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say, my college dining hall had the smallest cups for coffee. I would always fill them up to the brim and then walk super carefully to my table. I wish I had been as galaxy brained as Sokka and just grabbed two cups. Alas. 
> 
> I keep putting off everyone meeting, but I promise its coming.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko eats a danish
> 
> Sokka sees a woodpecker
> 
> Toph finds a rock

Zuko had finally found the perfect time to visit the coffee shop. Side note, what kind of name is ‘The Coffee Shop.’That’s not a name, that’s a description. Still, it was harder to judge the place now that it allowed Zuko to talk to Sokka. 

Well it should allow Zuko to talk to Sokka. That was easier said than done. 

_Would be a lot easier if you weren’t such a coward,_ Zuko thought to himself. 

You see, Zuko had to wait for the right moment to visit Sokka at work. There was one major obstacle getting in the way: Azula. 

Technically he owed Azula for all the interactions he has had thus far. When she started finally talking about the mysterious job she had gotten at the beginning of the year, Zuko figured it was too much of a coincidence for her coworker and the hot guy he’d seen read poetry to both be called Sokka. He needed to find out for sure. 

At first, he asked Azula to describe her coworker. It led to diatribe about how Sokka wouldn't let her touch the inside of the espresso machine, insisting on cleaning it himself because it was his 'baby'. Which admittedly sounded weird, he could see why it upset Azula. Still the story lacked the more physical description he had been hoping for. It’s not like he could interrupt her and say, ‘But what do his eyes look like? Are they a striking blue, reminiscent of the sky on a cloudless day?’ 

Soon enough it became clear that the only way to confirm his suspicions by going to the coffee shop himself. Sure, Azula said she would light him on fire if he ever stepped foot in her place of work, but she hasn’t meant threats like that since she was 14. 

He ended up being incredibly lucky, not only was Sokka the very same guy from open mic night, but Azula was also nowhere to be seen. Of course there was no way to guarantee that kind of miracle again. After their impromptu breakfast, Sokka was expecting Zuko to visit him at work. And, from what Zuko could gather, Sokka and Azula seemed to work all of their shifts together. 

Luckily, opportunity presented itself during his weekly lunch with Azula. She offhandedly mentioned her boss trying to get someone to pick up a Saturday morning shift and Sokka volunteering. She often dropped little stories like this, with almost begrudging admiration for Sokka. Initially it seemed she despised him, but as time went on she had clearly come to respect him for his hard work. 

It was with this knowledge and not much else of a plan that Zuko found himself driving to campus so he could see Sokka again. 

The first hitch came when he walked in and saw that Sokka was very busy making the drinks and some unfamiliar girl was on the register taking orders. He had hoped that Sokka would be at the register so that Zuko wouldn’t have to initiate the conversation. 

This is fine. He could roll with this. He would order his cheese danish and then get Sokka’s attention. He could come up with something smooth to say. 

Zuko was saved from coming up with a line, because as soon as he ordered Sokka looked up and grinned from ear to ear. 

“Zuko! You came!” He turned to his coworkers, “I’m taking my break, see you in 15.” He threw off his apron and came out from behind the counter. The other workers glared, but Sokka paid them no mind. 

“Uh, well, I had to try the danish.” Zuko finished lamely. 

“Oh of course, for the danish.” Sokka repeated. He raised his eyebrows suggestively. 

The two of them were about to grab a table when a familiar voice called out. “Zuzu, what are you doing here?” 

Azula was walking up to the two of them with a suspicious look on her face. 

“Zuzu?” Sokka turned to Zuko. 

Zuko was frozen, unsure of how to proceed. 

“Well, Zuzu?” Azula crossed her arms. 

“I wanted a cheese danish. . .?” 

Azula looked confused for a moment, but then miraculously accepted the answer. 

‘Well, the timing is perfect. I see you have met Sokka.” She turned to face him now. “Sokka I have decided to come to your game night after all. I will bring Zuko, as well as our friend Mai. I hope these terms are acceptable.” From her expression, Zuko could see there would be no negotiations. 

Sokka looked perplexed. “Uh yeah, that’s fine. How do you guys even know each other?” 

Oh god, he hadn’t even made the connection yet. How could Zuko tell him? 

“Don’t you see the family resemblance? Zuzu is my brother.” Azula said plainly. 

Sokka’s eyes widened, he regarded Zuko once more as if he was trying to make sense of this revelation. 

This was exactly why Zuko never wanted either of them finding out. Now that Sokka knew about Azula, it wouldn’t be long until he learned all about Zuko’s fucked up family. He and Azula had come a long way from when they were younger, but Zuko still liked to have a part of his life that was separate, untouched by his familial troubles. 

Sokka looked between the two of them, still processing the new information. “Well, I better get back to work,” he laughed nervously, heading back to the counter before giving them an awkward wave. 

Zuko returned the wave before turning back to Azula. 

“Why do you want me to go to game night with your coworker?” Zuko couldn’t quite figure this out. It seemed out of character for Azula. 

“Not here.” Azula whispered, she grabbed Zuko’s arms and pulled him out of the coffee shop. Once she determined they were a safe distance away Azula had them sit on a bench. 

“I have come to the conclusion that Sokka’s sister may have a crush on me. At this time though I need more information, and extra sets of eyes.” Azula avoided looking at Zuko and while she seemed confident as she spoke, Zuko could sense a vulnerableness underneath the surface. 

Zuko was lost. “Well, what do you want to do, are you interested in her?” 

Zuko was not even sure he should ask this, they never talked about it. 

“What! No! I just need to find out if she likes me. That’s important to know.” 

“Right, of course.” Zuko was skeptical. 

Azula continued. “With you and Mai there as well, I can confirm my suspicions.” 

Which, shit. Zuko hadn’t even considered that. The other reason he didn’t want Sokka to learn about Azula. 

Azula thought that Zuko and Mai were still together. Even though they broke up when the two of them first got to college. 

Azula thought this because Zuko and Mai had never told her otherwise. It hadn’t seemed important at the time, and Azula had been having her own troubles during her senior year of high school. But as time went on, it became harder for Zuko to figure out how to break the news. The longer it continued, the more upset Azula would be when she learned the truth. 

It hadn’t been hard to keep up the lie. The three of them rarely hung out all together anymore. 

Of course now it would be the three of them, plus Sokka (who Zuko definitely liked), and Sokka's sister (who may or may not like Azula). 

Zuko had the worst luck. At least the danish was good.

* * *

Sokka had never been happier to go on a hike with Toph. He could use some time in the outdoors to think about all that had happened today. Being out amidst the trees had a calming affect and Sokka needed that right now, because he was freaking the fuck out. 

He knew Toph could probably sense his mood, because she was quiet and contemplative during the walk. She even agreed to keep her shoes on until they made it to the creek a couple miles into the woods without her usual grumbling. 

At one point Toph heard the sounds of a woodpecker and urged Sokka to look for it. Sokka located it up a tree to their right and described its red crested head to Toph, who identified it as pileated woodpecker. Sokka was in much better spirits as they made their way to the creek. Once Toph sensed they were close she kicked of her sneakers and splashed into the water. Sokka laughed and sat on the log by the bank of the creek. 

“Hey Toph, do you think we could do a game night at your apartment? It just bigger than any of our dorm rooms.” Sokka asked. He needed to solve one problem at a time. 

“Are we still doing that? I thought you said Azula didn’t want to.” Toph was crouched down, digging through the muck at the bottom of the creek before pulling up a smooth rock. 

“Yeah well, she changed her mind. Now she’s invited along her brother and her friend.” 

“Sure, why not.” Toph replied, pocketing the rock. 

Sokka tried not to think about Zuko. He couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t told him about Azula. That whole interaction had been so awkward; Sokka had no idea what to make of it. He was hoping some time out here would provide some clarity. Zuko clearly did not want Azula to see him with Sokka. But why? 

“So, do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?” Toph interrupted his train of thoughts. 

“Nothing’s bothering me.” Sokka lied weakly. It was useless of course. Toph knew him well enough to see through any lies. 

She considered his response. “Why don’t you call Suki?” 

God, Toph was a genius. Suki was the perfect person to talk to about this. Obviously he loved getting advice from Toph and Aang, and even Katara when the situation called for it, but if they knew about his feelings for Zuko during game night they would make everything even more awkward. They always freaked out whenever he showed an interest in someone. He knew why. Sokka hadn’t been in a serious relationship since-well for a long time. 

Suki could give him advice and he would never have to worry about her asking Zuko invasive questions, or making vague threats, or being overtly friendly in a way that was almost off-putting. Mostly because she wasn’t here, but also because she had been on the receiving end of it in high school from Toph, Katara, and Aang. 

Toph had a serious expression on her face as she joined Sokka on the log. “Don’t forget to take breaks, Sokka. I know you’ve been working crazy hours, even on your days off. Everyone needs down time.” 

Sokka looked down guiltily, he had to push back their hike because he picked up an extra shift. 

“I can tell that something about this game night is stressing you out, but don’t forget, its supposed to be fun. I think it’ll be good for you.” Toph continued. With that she punched Sokka on the shoulder and hopped up to find her shoes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say again thank you so much for all the kind comments!! It really means so much to me!
> 
> Also these boys will communicate . . . eventually


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's get everyone together for game night. What's the worst that can happen?

Seeing Suki’s face, even through a computer screen, does wonders for Sokka’s mood. At the start of each school year they always promised to do a weekly video call, but this inevitably fell through as the semester kicked in. At least Suki had an actual social life preventing her from calling as often; Sokka just had school and work to thank for his busy schedule. 

Now they attempt to cram in a call whenever something life changing happens - or if there’s a crisis. 

Suki took one look at Sokka’s face and she could tell it was a crisis. 

Sokka filled her in on the entire Zuko saga so far, making sure to build up dramatically to the plot twist. Bam! His terrible coworker, Azula, is Zuko’s sister. 

Suki looked appropriately shocked at the revelation. 

Sokka fidgeted nervously with his sleeves. “So, that’s my life . . .” He shrugged. 

“I mean, Azula sounds awful, but Zuko doesn’t seem anything like her.” Suki responded reasonably. 

“Yeah, I guess. It’s not that they’re related that bothers me. I don’t mind that. It’s just when it happened, everything was so awkward. Zuko clearly didn’t want me to find out; he was intentionally hiding it.” Sokka stumbled through his thoughts trying to make sense why he had been so on edge since that interaction in the coffee shop. 

Suki furrowed her brows, clearly listening and thinking. Sokka loved that about her, he could always see her working through a problem and know that she was actively coming to a solution. 

“Maybe Zuko’s not out to his family.” She offered. 

“Huh, that could be it. Its gonna be hard to make a move when I work all the time with his sister. Ugh, not to mention, both of them are coming to Toph’s for a game night.” Sokka groaned and threw his hands in the air. 

Suki laughed. 

“He sounds nice. If he makes you happy then it’s worth it. You deserve to be happy.” Suki smiled at him and Sokka wished nothing more than to be in the same room so he could throw his arms around her.

Sokka was garbage at emotional stuff in real life, let alone telling someone how much they matter via shitty dorm wifi. Still, he knew that she knew. It was always easy between them. 

Suddenly another girl in a bright pink crop top, with long brunette hair braided down her back appeared on the screen. 

“Is this the Sokka I’ve heard so much about? He’s cute.” The bubbly girl winked at him. “Well I’m heading out, I’ll see you later. Nice to meet you Sokka.” She waved to the screen before leaning in for a stilted hug with Suki, and then bounced out of the room. 

“Um, what was that.” 

Suki had a weird expression on her face, and Sokka was having trouble picking up on the situation. He knew Suki had gotten some random freshman for a roommate, but he thought she had liked her. 

Suki looked up guiltily. “I might be having a situation as well.” 

Sokka raised his eyebrows. 

“So I may have . . . hooked up with my roommate.” 

“Suki!” 

She shrugged. 

“Do you want a relationship?” 

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think she wants that either. She facetimes with this girl back home every night. They don’t even talk, just do their homework together.” She pauses and gives Sokka a meaningful look. “Plus she’ll flirt with people in front of me. I can’t tell if she’s trying to show it wasn’t serious or if she’s trying to make me jealous. Either way, I don’t do mind games.” Suki shrugged again. 

“You know, you deserve someone who makes you happy too.” Sokka replied. 

Suki looked up and smiled softly. 

Everyone had been surprised that Sokka and Suki had decided to go to different colleges. Most people couldn’t really wrap their minds around the fact that they weren’t dating. Katara would get exasperated and say they were doing everything a couple does anyway. But Sokka wasn’t ready for that, not so soon after everything and Suki didn’t need them to have any kind of label. 

When it came time to pick colleges Suki was being recruited out of state to play soccer and Sokka was given a full-ride to their state school. It just made sense. Sokka was grateful that he had Katara, Aang, and Toph with him now, but he would never expect any one of them to choose their college based on where he was going. 

Even so, on days like this he wishes the two of them could be together, doing something stupid to distract from everything else they had going on. 

“I know I cant say anything to convince you this game night will be fine, so when it goes horribly wrong at least call me so I can get some free entertainment. I could use it.” Suki joked. 

Sokka just laughed loudly and promised he would give her the whole play by play. 

* * *

Game night was finally here and Sokka was stress cleaning Toph’s apartment in preparation. Aang was helping, but he kept turning each task into a game that ultimately made more of a mess than when they started out. If anyone could distract Sokka it was Aang. 

Toph just snacked on her sofa while the two of them worked, occasionally calling out that they weren’t being entertaining enough. 

Sokka just reminded Toph it was her mess they were cleaning up. 

He finished sweeping up a trail of dirt that was all through the living room before turning to see Aang transforming himself into a mummy with their paper towel supply. 

Which was admittedly hilarious. He was already looking for a way to get the paper towels to stay secured around Aang. 

Shit, he needed to focus. Zuko was going to be here at any moment and Sokka wanted things to be ready. Azula too. She always bemoaned the mess he made at work. Which he cleaned up thank you very much. It was just that sometimes in the middle of a rush there wasn’t time for that. 

If Katara was here things would be a lot smoother. She could always get Aang to listen. She was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, but she had texted Sokka at the last minute that she was running behind. 

Sokka realized that he could be a little uptight about the game night schedules, but for the first time it wasn’t going to be just their little group. Azula and Zuko were both going to be there, equally frightening but for different reasons, as well as the mysterious Mai. 

The sound of the door opening snapped Sokka out of that train of thought as Katara finally joined them. She wasn’t alone. 

“Hey guys this is my friend Anya” Standing next to Katara was another girl, with medium length brown hair. It was kind of weird to think it, but physically she reminded him of Suki. 

“Anya, meet Sokka.” Katara gestured toward him, completely ignoring Aang and Toph in the process. 

“I’m Aang” He waved, his arm still covered in paper towels.

“Toph” She raised a hand like it was roll call. 

“Nice to meet everyone.” Anya mumbled. 

“Katara, how interesting that you invited someone else to our game night.” Sokka grumbled. 

“Well I figured since you invited three whole new people, we’d be at an odd number. It only made sense that I could invite just one more person.” Katara sniped back. 

“Toph wanted to be game master tonight, she wasn’t going to play. Did you even read the email I sent out.” 

“Sokka, nobody reads your emails, they're like pages long.” 

“I read the email.” Aang chimed it, which was nice to hear, but not exactly helpful. 

Anya had settled onto the sofa with Toph, and the two of them were pointedly ignoring this sibling squabble. 

Sokka just groaned and walked over to Anya. “Sorry that I wasn’t very welcoming before.” 

“Its cool, Katara promised there’d be food.” Anya shrugged. 

Toph handed over the bag of chips she had been eating. 

There was a knock on the door. 

Katara opened it to reveal Azula, Zuko, and a girl with sleek black hair who must be Mai. 

Zuko was holding a crudite platter and Mai had a handle of vodka that had clearly already been opened. 

“We brought gifts for the host.” Zuko said awkwardly holding out the tray of vegetables to Katara. 

Azula rolled her eyes at the word ‘gifts’. 

“Well I’m the host.” Toph hopped up and snatched the vodka out of Mai’s hands. 

“This is my brother Zuko and his girlfriend Mai. Zuko, Mai, this is Sokka and his friends.” She looked around the room assessing everyone, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Anya. “I don’t understand, who is that one.” She pointed at Anya, while addressing Sokka. 

“That would be my friend, Anya.” Katara replied, crossing her arms. 

“But now we have an odd number, did you not read the email Sokka sent out?” Azula asked sharply. 

Sokka was frozen in his spot. Time had stopped the moment Azula had said the words Zuko and girlfriend in the same sentence. He realized people were addressing him but he could not move past this revelation. 

Zuko, for his part, was avoiding eye contact completely. 

“I actually don’t even like board games, I could just chill out with Toph.” Anya offered. 

Katara frowned at that, but it seemed to be the solution that made the most people happy. 

They had agreed to play Taboo which meant they needed to pick teams. Katara immediately shouted out that she would parter up with Azula. At that, Zuko and Mai looked at each other. Sokka couldn’t help but notice how in sync they were. 

Aang rushed over to Zuko and grabbed his arm, picking him for his team. 

Which left Sokka and . . . Mai. Just great. Nothing like teaming up with your crush’s girlfriend. 

* * *

Katara’s plan was not working like she expected. Anya was supposed to partner up with her brother and distract him from Azula. Instead she was sitting on the couch with Toph, who was shamelessly flirting with her. Katara had texted her that she was bringing Anya to set up with Sokka but of course Toph ignored that. 

Luckily she acted quickly and partnered up with Azula for Taboo. They had actually done pretty well for their first round. Katara had always been really good at this game and Azula was a great guesser. 

Aang and Zuko were up next and they were a lot less successful. 

“Um, oh I know, Sokka loves this!” Aang called out. 

“Poetry?” 

Sokka blushed as everyone else looked confused. 

“No, hmmm. He works with it.” Aang tried again. 

“ . . . Azula?” Zuko guessed. 

Katara looked up at that. Did Sokka love Azula?

“It keeps you awake. Its bitter.” 

Azula was using all her willpower to hold back from yelling out the answer. Zuko just looked lost. 

“Time” Anya called from the couch. Toph had delegated much of her game master duties to her. 

“It’s coffee, Zuzu!” Azula blurted out. 

Zuko just placed his head down on the table. “I’m terrible at this.” 

“Are you kidding, we got three whole cards! I’ve played rounds where no one has been able to guess a single thing I’ve described. I should have warned you that I’m not a great partner.” Aang laughed sheepishly. 

Zuko looked up and smiled. 

Sokka laughed as well. “Its true. I once got stuck because he was describing a cute animal that everyone loves, turns out the card was for a worm.” 

“Worms are cute!” Aang replied. 

“Sure, but maybe not how I would describe them in a time based guessing game.” Sokka rolled his eyes, but there was a fondness in his smile. 

For a moment everyone was just having fun. Katara couldn’t help but be brought into the infectious laughter. She looked up at Sokka and he seemed happier than she’d seen him in a while. 

* * *

Sokka was having the worst time of his life. 

It was one thing to find out the guy you like has a girlfriend, it was another thing entirely when said girlfriend is the coolest person you’ve ever met. Why couldn’t Sokka just hate Mai. 

She had a dark sense of humor that caught Sokka off guard and she talked about a collection of knives which was as cool sounding as it was intimidating. 

They had done pretty well on their turn. Sokka was only slightly better than Aang at Taboo, but Mai seemed to understand him. They got close to Azula and Katara’s score, but not enough to overcome them. 

Everyone was taking a break and drinking screw drivers made from the vodka Mai brought. Sokka found himself having fun despite himself. He laughed loudly at a truly off color joke that Azula told when Katara asked to speak to him in private. They went off to Toph’s bedroom and shut the door.

“Why are you ignoring Anya?” 

“What I’m not ignoring her. If anything, she’s ignoring us for Toph.” Sokka rolled his eyes. “She’s your friend and you haven’t said two words to her.” 

“Look,” Katara adopted that soft tone she used whenever she was going to be particularly condescending, “I know you might think you have feelings for someone else, but I think Anya would be really good for you.” She placed a hand on Sokka’s shoulder. 

How did Katara even know about his feelings for Zuko. Was he that obvious.

“Oh my god, are you trying to set me up right now? Be honest, is Anya even your friend.” Sokka shook her hand off of him. 

“We talk . . .” She looked down guiltily. 

“About what?” 

Katara was racking her brain “I think she likes math?” 

“You’re trying to set me up with her because she’s a nerd! Unbelievable!” Sokka threw his arms up. 

“That’s not the only reason.” 

Sokka crossed his arms. 

“Okay, but she’s still a better option than . . .” Katara made eye contact with Sokka willing him to finish her sentence. 

“Well obviously. She’s not in a relationship.” Sokka sighed bitterly. 

“Azula is in a relationship?” Katara looked shocked. 

“Wait, what? You think I like Azula?” Now Sokka was the one who was shocked. 

“Yeah, what have we been talking about this entire time?” Katara replied. 

Toph opened the door to her bedroom and closed it behind her. “Just thought you guys should know you are getting kinda loud. I don’t think the others could hear what you were saying, but they can definitely tell you’re arguing.” 

“We should go back out there” Sokka said. He walked past Katara and Toph without another word. 

* * *

Mai figured this evening turned out better than expected. It was easier for her and Zuko to pretend when it wasn’t just the two of them with Azula. Being around these other people was even bringing out a softer side to Azula(well her version of a soft side was still pretty rough). 

Toph seemed cool and so did Sokka. Aang reminded her a little of Ty Lee who Mai was trying not to think about, not while around Azula. 

Mai was surprised to see Anya here. It seemed the girl knew to keep her mouth shut, which Mai was grateful for. Although, now she was looking over at her as if she was trying to figure something out. 

Sokka, Toph, and Katara came out from the bedroom where the two siblings had been not so subtly fighting. Mai had been straining to eavesdrop and she was pretty sure she heard Azula’s name mentioned. Maybe this Katara girl did like her, though Mai was pretty sure she was straight. 

“I feel like I know you from somewhere.” Anya said, addressing Mai. 

Wonderful, Anya wasn’t a chill person who could keep a secret; she just forgot who Mai was. 

All Mai’s life she wished for psychic powers. It would be great if she could develop them right now to ensure Anya kept any revelations of how they met to herself. She tried to convey this with her eyes, but Mai was never a lucky person. 

“Did we make out at a party? I’m sorry if I forgot you, I can go a little crazy.” Anya said, oblivious to the bomb she just dropped. 

Fuck. 

Every head turned to look at Mai, gauging her reaction. 

“I think you’re mistaken. I’m with Zuko.” Mai replied, keeping her voice even. 

Anya finally seemed to read her expression and dropped the issue. 

Everyone appeared to accept Mai’s response, but Mai could see Azula watching her closely. She was always too smart.

The mood in the room was sour after all that. Just Aang and Zuko seemed to be enjoying themselves. Aang was telling Zuko about this farm he visits, promising to bring Zuko with him. Mai had to smile at that. For once Zuko was the one making friends. 

Zuko looked over at Sokka, and his smile fell when he saw the frown on his face. Katara was also watching Sokka with concern. Mai had a feeling she was missing some of the story there. Zuko and her were going to have a long talk when they left tonight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I agonized over writing this chapter. I'm back at work too so I have had less time to write. 
> 
> I love Mai more than anything and truly believe her and Sokka would be great friends. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! Every comment brings me so much joy.


	6. Chapter 6

Azula’s entire world felt off its axis ever since she went to game night. 

Her friends were lying to her. She knew it. Mai was very good; she would have almost believed her, if not for Zuko. While everyone else looked shocked as Anya questioned Mai, Zuko fearfully turned to gauge Azula’s own reaction. He corrected himself instantly, but the damage was done. His acting skills were clearly just as dreadful as his high school theatre days. 

Mai had kissed this Anya girl and lied about it. 

Zuko knew. 

What did it mean? 

What had truly shaken Azula was her reaction to it. She wanted to call Mai on her lie. Zuko too. She wanted to embarrass them and uncover the truth in equal parts. But she didn’t. Something had stopped her. 

What was wrong with her? 

She felt foolish for even trusting them in the first place. Every one lies. Even her idiot brother and her only remaining friend.

She was not going to let herself focus on something that didn’t even matter 

Sokka seemed just as out of sorts since game night. Perhaps his friends were conspiring to keep secrets from him too. He still showed up to work each day, but he was phoning it in. He even ignored the numerous opportunities to flirt with his regulars, which usually cheered him right up. 

Azula decided to grab two copies of the college’s terrible free newspaper for them to make fun of on their shift. Sokka had started a competition as to who could find the most typos. It was frightening just how many the paper contained. 

As she walked in she skimmed the paper, her eyes drawn to an article mentioning the Coffee Shop. It was just a silly fluff piece ranking the best coffee spots on campus. Azula frowned as she saw the Coffee Shop was only number two on the list. They were certainly better than the dining halls and the other small cafe that offered a much more limited coffee menu. Did these idiots put Dunkin Donuts above them? 

As she continued to read, the truth was much worse. 

Listed as the best coffee shop on campus was the Jasmine Dragon. 

“Sokka! Look at this!” She shoved the paper in his face. 

“Hello to you too,” He grabbed the paper and started to read. “Nice, number two on campus. Always an honor to be recognized.” He pumped his fist in the air. 

“Did you catch what was number one?” 

“Yeah, I mean, its definitely more of a tea shop but the Jasmine Dragon is supposed to be really nice.” 

“Exactly, its a tea shop! Its also not even on campus. How can the purported ‘best coffee shop on campus’ be a tea shop in the city. Its shoddy journalism. That spot belongs to us.” Azula took a deep breath.

“I agree, I think we’re number one, but you know the school paper isn’t exactly known for their well thought out pieces.” 

“We should sue them for libel.” 

Sokka fixed Azula with a look. She crossed her arms and arched a brow.

“Don’t you think thats maybe a stretch?” Sokka tried. 

“They don’t even serve coffee.” 

“Really? Okay actually thats fucked up.” 

“Well, maybe they do.” Azula started to back track. “We should go there. Find proof of its inferiority and submit the evidence to the paper, along with the obvious reasons as to why we are the rightful number one coffee shop on campus. Give the paper a chance to post a correction.” Of course, they could always sue for libel if the paper failed to comply. 

Azula had him, she could tell, he was going to do this with her. 

“Wait, doesn’t your uncle own the Jasmine Dragon?” 

Azula deflated. She gave Sokka a silent nod. Perhaps this was a bad idea. 

“We’re going to need some disguises then.” Sokka was grinning at her, and she couldn’t help but grin back. 

* * *

Sokka wasn’t an idiot. He had a feeling there was more going on with Azula than just this newspaper article. Sokka was no stranger to throwing yourself into some wacky hijinks as a distraction from your problems. 

So here he was, standing outside the Jasmine Dragon with an itchy fake beard and mustache attached to his face. 

Azula was running late, which was unlike her. On second glance though, the old woman crossing the street was actually Azula. She had on thick prescription glasses, a frumpy dress, and a grey wig. She was even mimicking the gait of someone with a hip replacement. Sokka was impressed. She nodded approvingly at Sokka’s disguise and the two headed into the Jasmine Dragon. 

Sokka had to admit that the Jasmine Dragon was just as nice as he had pictured it. Still Azula made some points. They were definitely not on campus right now. And just looking at the menu, there didn’t appear to be any coffee available. 

“Hi there, my name is Jin. What can I get started for you guys?” A friendly girl greeted them at the counter. 

“Do you guys serve coffee?’ Sokka tried to adopt an older sounding voice, but from the look Azula was shooting him, it wasn’t working. 

“Yeah, we serve coffee. You can get hot or iced, but I recommend trying own of our teas. That’s our specialty.” She smiled at them. 

“Exactly,” Azula smirked at Sokka and rolled her eyes.

“Special- _tea_ ” Sokka said a moment after and then he laughed because he couldn’t quite help it. 

Jin looked back and forth between the two of them like she was unsure of what to make of them. She was eyeing the edge of Sokka’s beard which he self consciously attempted to flatten. 

“We’ll take one hot coffee and one iced coffee.” Azula said, her old lady voice no better than Sokka’s. “Might as well try one of each.” 

They grabbed their drinks and picked a table in the corner that allowed them to observe the entire shop. 

The place was pretty crowded for a weekday mid-morning. Most people should be at work or school, and yet there was a substantial amount of tables taken up between the indoor seating and the garden patio. 

Delicious smells wafted from beautifully crafted tea pots shared at the tables. Sokka looked down at their sad coffees, and couldn’t help being jealous of what everyone else was enjoying. 

Azula sipped the iced coffee and frowned. “Ugh, try this.” 

Sokka took a tentative sip. It was way too acidic and also very watered down. They clearly just put the hot coffee over ice, without brewing it stronger to accommodate for the ice melting. 

“Is the hot coffee any better?” Sokka asked as he took another sip of the mediocre iced coffee. 

Azula shook her head. “I think it’s been sitting on the burner since they opened.” 

Yes, Sokka was aware they were being coffee elitists right now. But look how fancy the tea was. Clearly this place was capable of quality. 

Azula was right, they should have been the number one coffee shop on campus. This place didn’t even has espresso! 

Azula surveyed the room carefully. “What makes this place so great?” 

Sokka considered the question, trying to take in the store. “I think its the atmosphere. Its very aesthetically pleasing. Probably because of all the plants and the garden.” Sokka recognized some of the plants from the background of his classmates instagram photos. 

“Plants?” Azula wrinkled her nose. 

“They look nice and . . . produce oxygen?” 

There were no plants inside the Coffee Shop. There was almost nothing instagram worthy about the shop itself. But the drinks they made, those were beautiful; Sokka could pride himself on that. 

“Do you think the Coffee Shop needs plants?” Azula asked. 

“Where are we going to get a plant?” Sokka responded. 

Azula just grinned at him. 

Oh no. 

She got up and started inspecting the different pots around the shop. She paused in front of what Sokka was pretty sure was a ficus. She tried to pick it up on her own, but it was heavier than she expected. 

She waved him over. Sokka looked on, unsure. 

“Come on, give me a hand.” she hissed. 

Sokka looked over to Jin, who was distracted by a large family at one the tables on the other side of the shop. He hopped up and lifted the plant with Azula. Might as well add plant theft to his day. 

They nearly made it out the door without incident. As Sokka reached to open the door someone else was coming in. 

“Zuko?” Sokka was shocked, of course Zuko was standing before him right at this moment. It was the first time he had seen him since game night. 

“Sokka?” Zuko was staring at his mouth, which would normally be a good thing, but then Sokka remembered his fake facial hair, and the plant in his ams, and the whole reason he was here. 

“Uh, I’m not Sokka. I’m . . . Wang.” At that he looked to Azula and the two of them sprinted out of the Jasmine Dragon carrying the ficus between them. 

Zuko was left staring after them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow its been a rough month, but here's an update
> 
> I missed writing this, hopefully I can start posting regularly again :)


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